


The Unofficial First Meeting of the Gundam-Pilot-Adjacent Stitch & B*tch

by NinthFeather



Series: What became of his ancestry 'verse [3]
Category: Gundam 00
Genre: Embroidery, Fiber Arts, Fluff, Friendship, Gen, Light Angst, cross stitch
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-18
Updated: 2019-10-18
Packaged: 2020-12-23 17:31:12
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 702
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21085160
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/NinthFeather/pseuds/NinthFeather
Summary: Louise and Arman do traditional handicrafts and also talk.No, really, that's the fic.





	The Unofficial First Meeting of the Gundam-Pilot-Adjacent Stitch & B*tch

**Author's Note:**

  * For [sapphireswimming](https://archiveofourown.org/users/sapphireswimming/gifts).

> Inspired by [this post by sapphireswimming](https://sapphireswimming.tumblr.com/post/188324375919/voidbat-wagnetic-lizscham-even-more-cross), which was a delight.

Arman glanced awkwardly from the throw pillow that read,  _ “Please leave by nine, _ ” in Louise’s slightly shaky cross-stitch to the clock on the side table.

Louise snorted, and deliberately looked back down at her current cross-stitch project, leaving him to shift from foot to foot, feeling awkward, while she finished a stitch and swore at either the project, her prosthetic, or both.

Finally, she sighed, and looked back up. “Do you really need another invitation? I asked you over because I wanted to hang out with you and stab fabric together. The pillow’s just for people from work that Saji invites over for dinner sometimes.”

“They overstay their welcome?” Arman asked as he sat down and started rummaging through his project bag. “I’m surprised you put up with that.”

“Only barely,” Louise said. “Saji and I made a deal that if they stay past 9, they’re his problem and I get to go hide in the bedroom.”

“Ahh, abandoning him,” Arman observed, locating one of his unfinished projects and getting to work. The pattern was intricate, but it was one he’d done before—perfect for stitching and talking at the same time.

“It was either that or he gives me permission to throw the pillow at anyone who’s still here at 10,” Louise said.

Arman glanced over at her cross-stitch. While his view of it wasn’t perfect, he could make out at least two pieces of profanity.

“Are you  _ trying _ to make something Saji won’t be willing to display?” Arman asked.

“Oh, no, this is a gift,” Louise said. “Apparently Ms. Sumeragi—you know, Alle’s old boss—saw some of Saji’s pictures and she’s willing to pay me for a few specific things.”

Sometimes, the fact that he knew people who were familiar enough with (debatably former) global terrorists to get commissions from them still caught him by surprise.

“So this is for her?” he asked.

“Actually, no, I think this is for somebody else from Celestial Being who I’ve never met?” Louise said. “I don’t even remember the name, but it kinda sounds like mine—Lucretia or something? Anyhow, I’m pretty sure it’s a gag gift. The one for Ms. Sumeragi is a quote from that old  _ Game of Thrones _ series.”

“What’s that?”

“Some old American fantasy thing, I don’t know. But it’s got to do with drinking and she thinks it’s hilarious, so whatever. She’s paying me and Saji keeps making all these amazing faces because he can’t decide whether he’s proud because I’m doing cross-stitch or mortified because of what kinds of things I’m doing cross-stitch about.”

“I’m glad you’re having fun,” Arman said.

“It’s…nice,” Louise said. “Not just the finished products, but the process of making them. I wasn’t expecting that. It gets frustrating sometimes because of…” she trailed off, wiggling her prosthetic hand as if in demonstration. “But choosing the patterns and colors and getting the stitches just right…I actually have a lot more fun with it than I was expecting.”

Arman smiled. “For me, embroidery started as part of trying to distract myself from everything that happened during the Solar Energy Wars, but it turned into something I loved because I enjoyed it, and because I wanted to keep our way of embroidering alive.”

“Speaking of that, your needle does not look even remotely like my needle,” Louise said.

“No, no it doesn’t,” Arman said. “Our technique is different too. Want to watch?”

“I’m not sure I’m up to actually learning it,” Louise warned.

“It’s still always fun to show people,” Arman said. “And then maybe you can show me where you’re getting all of these patterns? They’re not traditional, obviously, but if I can tweak them a bit I’m wondering if I could sell variations on them to tourists.”

“You say that, but I think you just want to make your own 'Please leave by nine,' pillow,” Louise accused.

“Perhaps I have both motivations,” Arman replied, grinning.

Louise offered a lopsided smile in reply, then leaned closer to Arman, clearly trying to get a better view of his work.

“So, how are you doing that, exactly?” she asked.

“Well,  _ biz keste-- _ chain stitch--is only possible because of the shape of the hook….”

**Author's Note:**

>   * [Embroidery on Louise’s pillow](https://www.etsy.com/listing/680615249/please-leave-by-nine-counted-cross?ref=shop_home_active_94) (but without the flowers) 
>   * [Ms. Sumeragi’s commission for Laeticia](https://www.etsy.com/listing/692312695/some-trite-inspirational-quote-about?ref=shop_home_active_10&crt=1)
>   * [Ms. Sumeragi’s commission for herself](http://i.imgur.com/oiFJDzW.jpg)
>   * [Kazakh embroidery](https://ninthfeather.tumblr.com/post/188431961065/ninthfeather-kazakh-embroidery-a-little-post)


End file.
